Srinagar: Police seized at least 8 trucks loaded with coal during night hours in Khrew area in the outskirts of Srinagar city. The trucks had been loaded with coal in the premises of Jammu Kashmir Cements Ltd and if sources are to be believed, the coal was being smuggled and was meant for private parties.
Reliable sources said that police seized the loaded trucks after receiving inputs that coal is being smuggled from JK Cements Ltd.
In charge Police Post Khrew Javaid Ahmed confirmed to news agency CNS that they seized 8 trucks of JK Cements Ltd loaded with coal. “These trucks were ferrying coal in an unauthorized manner and were without proper documents,” he said and added that an FIR vide number 68/2018 under section 409 RPC has been registered in this regard and investigation taken up.
MD JK Cements Atul Sharma said that it was rejected coal that was supposed to go to supplier back. However, insiders reveal that it has become a routine for JK Cements to procure sub-standard material from companies on commission basis.
Insiders said that officials on the directions of MD JK Cements procure sub-standard material from a supplier called Wonder Wage Trading Company. “This time as well sub-standard coal was procured by JK Cements Ltd and when employees raised fingers, some coal was returned while rest was accepted,” said an employee wishing not to be named.
Earlier, the same company supplied five lakh PP bags. The bags despite being oversized and with maximum wastage and burstage problems were accepted by JK Cements Ltd. Reports said that officials at the helm of affairs earned huge chunk of money out of this ‘illegal’ practice.
“What was the need to procure these oversized PP bags from a dummy company when JK Cements was routinely procuring standard material from a designated outside state company.”
“Whatever happens in JK Cements need to be probed,” said a group of employees adding that incumbent MD JK Cements Ltd now wants to give undue advantage to a private cement company. That is a different story.”
Sources further added that last year as well, JK Cements Ltd procured sub-standard coal from a Jammu based company. “Initially, JK Cements Ltd employees refused to unload those trucks and they remained parked for a week outside the factory. However, after a week, all the trucks were unloaded for the reasons better known to the head of the government undertaking.